Universal joint



W. C. MORTON.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, I920.

Patented my 25, 1922.

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UNIVERSAL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED IIIIIY 24, Iszo.

Patented July 25, 1922.

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W'ILLIAM C. NORTON, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-THRD TO JOSEPH P. CORDON ANI) ONE-THIRD TO IRA O. NORTON, BOTH OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA..

UNIVERSALy JOINT.

Application led May 24,

To @ZZ fro/rom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, WYILLIAMC. MonToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Universal Joint, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a universal joint or shock absorber for communicating inotion from a revoluble shaft to a driven shaft,

and particularly useful in motor vehicles. l

One of the objects in view is to provide such a connection or coupling that theyconventional Wheels may be dispensed With, to eliminate breakage of gear teeth. Another object is to eliminate undue friction and Wear of parts, and a further object is to prevent the undue jolting, shocks or vibration of a driven shaft when a revoluble movement is communicated thereto by a ro tatable shaft.

With the foregoing objects in view, and others to be mentioned hereinafter, the in vention presents a novel construction, conibination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, Wherein,-

Fig. 1 is a vievv of the inner end of a bearing-block, a casing in section and a pair of springs also being shown. Fig. 2 is a view of the inner end of a holder-block for a driven shaft, a casing in section and a pair of springs being added. Fig. 8 is a vievv of tivo connected shafts, the blocks being in section. F 1- is a view in transverse section through the casing and bearing-block on line 1--L1- of Fig. 3. YFig. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of the holder-block. Fig. 6 is a side vieiv of the beariiigblock.

The invention is illustrated in connection With a revoluble shaft 7 and a driven shaft 8, and in order that the objects first mentioned may be attained, 1 provide a cylindrical casting or bearing-block 9, preferably provided at its outer end With a circular flange 10 and having a pair of opposed projections or arms 11 extending inwardly, said block also being provided at its inner end with an annular Wall a and a bowlshaped recess 12 disposed in line with the longitudinal axis and opening upon the inu ner end of said block. Numeral 18 (Fig. 8) indicates a recess epeninoa upon the outer connection with Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1922. 1920. serial No. 383,915.

end. of the Vblock 9, and at 14 is indicated a disc adapted to be secured to the fiange by bolts 15 or equivalent means, said disc being provided with a collar 16 for receiving the shaft 7 Which is suitably keyed thereto, the inner end of said shaft preferably projecting Within the recess 13, and secured by a nut 17.

l provide a holder-block 18 approximately of saucer-shape, provided at its middle with an inwardly projecting sleeve 19 for receiving the shaft 8, said shaft being provided with a ball-shaped head 2O adapted to make contact With the Wall of the recess 12, said kblock 18 also being provided with a pair of opposed, inwardly extending projections or arms 21. Numeral 22 indicates a nut adapted to be threaded o-n the shaft 8 near the junction of said shaft with its head 20, to bear upon the end of the sleeve 19 for preventing any end thrust of the last named shaft with reference to the block or casting 18; and numeral 28 indicates a slot which is formed in the sleeve 8 for receiving a key (not shown) for securing said shaft to the casting 18. n p

At 24 is indicated a casing for containing the castiiigs 9 and 18, said casing having its inner end provided with a circular flange b for engaging the `liange 10, its outer end being of concavo-convexed form and provided with an aperture c having a greater area than the area of the shaft in cross-section, to permit said shaft to be disposed in nonalignrnent with the shaft 7, When required.

ln order that stresses directed to the shaft 7 may be communicated to the shaft 8 Without undue shocks o-r vibration, and that undue friction may be avoided, and that the parts will be durable, and also that Wheels and gear teeth may be dispensed with, I provide a plurality of springs, these being disposed opposite to each other in pairs, as the springs 25 and 26. Each projection or arm 11 and 21 is preferably formedv With` a pair'of facets d, these being disposed in planes approximately at right-angles to each other to provide suitable supports for the springs, each arm preferably being provided with a pair of grooves e opening on its conveXed side for receiving the extension f of a spring 25 and the extension f of a spring 2G.

Each spring 25 and 2G is so disposed that tabuts upon a facet of a projection 11 and upon a facet of a projection 2l opposite to and parallel therewith, and is secured at its respective ends to an arm or projection by means of aterminal hook h in engagement with a facet, and therefore the springs operate unitedly to resist stresses, and on account of this construction, stresses directed to one ofthe shafts willbe communicated `to the other shaft without appreciableshocks or vibration.

lVhile the shaft 8 has been indicated specifically as the one to be rotated bythevrevoluble movements of the shaft 7, this has been for convenience of description, and it will be understood that either shaft may be revolublerin either direction for communicating a revoluble movement to the other shaft. Also, while I'have described construction in detail, do not wish toibe understood as limiting myself in thisrespect, and changes insize, proportion and minor details may bemade as found'to be of advantage, said changesto be determined by the scopeof the invention` as claimed.

What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- A universal joint for drive Vand driven shafts, comprisinga sphericalhead `on the end of one shaft, a sleeveifitted over said shaft inwardly of the head and having cooperating means on the shaftto preventend thrust thereof in either direction, said sleeve having a saucer-like flange andarms extending from the sleeve in a direction `substantially parallel with the axis of both shafts and having facets disposed at substantially right angles Aand with rounded outer surfaces, provided with spaced notches therein, a block composed having a cylindrical portion with `an inner annular wall extending aboutthe spherical head and provided with a socket within the wall conforming and turning relatively to the head, said block in, coil springs lying between Athe arms and having their ends engaged upon opposed facets, said springs having hooks extending into the notches ofthe respective arms, said blockihavinga flange projecting outwardly at its edgeportion, a disc fitting against the rearportion of the block and secured to said j flange and providediwith `a sleeve fitted over the other shaft and secured to turn therewith and a casing having a cylindricalportion fitting about said arms and upon the rounded surfaces thereof, and having a fiange secured against the fiange on said block, said casing also formed with a round-v ed end portion bearing against the saucer like fiange, and having an opening to receive the shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

`VILLIAhf i C. MORTON.

lVitnesses:

Hman: A. STURGES, ALBERT T. BROWN. 

